An illustration of how downtown Davidson might look with four-story buildings, from a town presentation. Taller buildings downtown (though not on Main Street) are among the planning amendments under consideration in town. (Davidson Planning Department illustration)

Updated 9:36am Thursday
By JONATHAN COX
DavidsonNews.net

The planning ordinance, which dictates many aspects of building design in Davidson, is up for an overhaul, and town officials are looking at changes in everything from affordable housing to building heights downtown. The issue came up again at Tuesday’s Town Board meeting and is the topic of two public meetings over the next month, including one Thursday at Town Hall.

As commissioners continue discussing the changes between now and December, they’re trying to balance two main goals: allowing growth while maintaining the town’s unique character.

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Peter Schneider read from his new collection of essays, Berlin Now, at the Carolina Inn Wednesday (Lincoln Davidson/DavidsonNews.net)

By LINCOLN DAVIDSON
DavidsonNews.net

“In the 1920s it was the capital of the cabarets, then it was the capital of the Nazis, the capital of the Holocaust. After the war ended in 1945, Berlin was not recognizable. Then we saw Berlin of the Cold War, a divided city, then Berlin as a unified city. No other city has had so many aspects over such a short period of history. And no other city has taken so much care to face history.”
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Students circled the flagpole at Lake Norman Christian School for prayer on Wednesday. (Anisia Tellefsen photo)

The entire student body joined staff and parents outside Lake Norman Christian School on South Street Wednesday for the annual “See You at the Pole” ceremony. It’s a tradition that began in 1990 in Texas and has since spread nationwide. Read the full story

N.C. Department of Transportation plans two drop-in information sessions in the Lake Norman area next month about plans for widening I-77 from Charlotte to Mooresville using toll lanes. The meetings are Wednesday, Oct. 8, in Mooresville and Thursday, Oct. 9, in Huntersville. Read the full story

This Soda Shop employee talked to the No. 88 car parked on Main Street Tuesday morning. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

People strolling on Main Street Tuesday morning were surprised to find Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 race car parked in one of the angled parking spaces facing the Village Green. They were even more startled when the NASCAR driver’s voice yelled a friendly hello from the car.

“Hey how you doin’?” he yelled to a Soda Shop clerk who walked over to find out what was going on. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Financial troubles at a privately-operated toll road in Indiana have added fuel to critics’ concerns about the public-private partnership that will build and operate toll lanes on I-77 north of Charlotte. But the Chapter 11 reorganization filing by ITR Concession Co. LLC may not actually say much about the potential success or failure of the I-77 project.
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Students and staff helped cleanup debris in front of Chambers Hall after Hurricane Hugo struck in 1989. (Davidson College Archives)

Hugo slammed the South Carolina coast on Sept. 21, 1989, and hit the Charlotte area the following day. (NOAA photo)

Where were you on Sept. 22, 1989? That’s the day Hurricane Hugo slammed the Carolinas, killing 49 people, causing $7 billion in damage, and changing lives and landscapes.

In Davidson, the storm hit around 4am and knocked out power at 4:30am, according to reports at the time. People went days without power and other necessities. Read the full story

The crowd packed Main Street at 6:30pm (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

At one point during Saturday night’s downtown Davidson gallery crawl, the sidewalk on Main Street was so crowded it was difficult to pass. That was a sign that this crawl was the most successful to date for downtown merchants who have been looking to lure more shoppers.

“This is our biggest one yet,” said Kristen Feighery, owner of Sanctuary Gallery and the lead organizer. Read the full story